Actor Hill Harper to speak at IU Auditorium Feb. 19 as part of IU Black History Month activities

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Actor Hill Harper, known for his role as Dr. Sheldon Hawkes on the CBS drama "CSI: New York," will lecture at Indiana University as part of the university's Black History Month Celebration.

Hill Harper

The event, which is free and open to the public, will take place in the IU Auditorium on Saturday, Feb. 19, at 7 p.m.

Hill's lecture is part of a larger observance of Black History Month at IU that also includes a film series, activities with area high school students, a music concert, the airing of an award-winning documentary produced by WTIU and a Black Knowledge Bowl.

This evening (Feb. 10) is a panel discussion, "The State of Black History Month," from 7 to 9 p.m. in the Grand Hall of the Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center, 275 N. Jordan Ave. Khalil Muhammad, IU assistant professor of history, will moderate a panel composed of IU student leaders who will discuss the history of and the present-day relevance of Black History Month. Tonight's discussion is hosted by the IU Office of Diversity Education, Theta Nu Xi Sorority Inc. and the Black Student Union.

Harper's lecture is presented by Union Board and co-sponsored by the Residence Halls Association, the Gamma-Eta Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha, Inc., the Department of Equity and Multicultural Affairs and the Office of Diversity Education.

A film, television, and stage actor, Harper has starred in the CBS dramas "The Handler" and "City of Angles," with guest appearances on "The Sopranos," "ER," "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air," Married . . . with Children" and "NYPD Blue." He has starred in a number theatrical productions, and his film credits include the Spike Lee film He Got Game, starring Denzel Washington. He is a member of the Black Folks' Theater Company of Boston, an African-American traveling theater group. In 2004, Harper was named one of People magazine's "Sexiest Men Alive."

Harper is the author of the books Letters to a Young Brother and Letters to a Young Sister, which are intended to provide life lessons for youth. He also wrote How Men and Women Can Build Loving, Trusting Relationships. Harper founded the Manifest Your Destiny Foundation, a non-profit youth organization that strives to empower underprivileged youth to succeed. The organization provides young men and women with support systems and resources, through mentorship, scholarship and grant programs.

"I believe that Hill Harper is an excellent person to bring to campus to speak on the topic of diversity," said George Thomas, Union Board lectures director. "His success is honorable, and he is a role model for all students."

Black History Month events at IU:

The "Extensions of the Tradition" concert featuring organist Leo Davis Jr., from 7 to 9 p.m. on Feb. 20 in Auer Hall of the IU Jacobs School of Music. The event, which is free and open to the public, will feature works composed by African Americans. Other featured performers will be Jacobs School of Music faculty Marietta Simpson and Otis Murphy and the African-American Choral Ensemble, under the direction of Professor Keith McCutchen. Complete details are available in a news release at http://newsinfo.iu.edu/news/page/normal/17167.html.

The Black Knowledge Bowl, from 6 to 9 p.m. on Feb. 23 in the Grand Hall of the Neal-Marshall Black Culture Center. IU student teams compete in a test of knowledge of history, geography, science, philosophy and politics of African-Americans in the United States and around the world. All IU student are welcome to participate in the fun, "Jeopardy-style" event. To register, contact sghiggin@indiana.edu.

On Feb. 24, WTIU will air Blacking Up: Hip-Hop's Remix of Race and Identity, a WTIU documentary that offers a provocative look at the popularity of hip-hop among America's white youth. The program was written, directed and produced by Robert Clift, a doctoral candidate in IU's Department of Communication and Culture. His previous film, Stealing Home: The Case of Cuban Baseball was broadcasted nationally on PBS in 2001. Blacking Up was recently awarded an American Library Association's (ALA) 2011 Notable Videos for Adults Award.

"Making History with IU: A Program for High School Students," from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Feb. 25 at the Indiana Memorial Union, 900 E. Seventh St. IU has invited high school students to the Bloomington campus for a day of activities, including an admissions presentation. They will meet and greet representatives from various IU departments, schools and colleges and student organizations. They will also gather information about other cultural resources available at the university. The purpose of the event is to honor the spirit of excellence in education that is annually highlighted in Black History Month celebrations around the United States each year. To register a high school student or to learn how to get involved, contact Mary Tourner at mtourner@indiana.edu.

The Black Legacy Film Series, sponsored by the Bloomington Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, is screening several movies at the Monroe County Public Library. All screenings will begin at 7 p.m. Being shown are "Hughes' Dream Harlem" (Langston Hughes), on Feb. 15; and "Strange Fruit" (Billie Holliday), Feb. 22.